“When I joined the UN War Crimes Tribunal, it was a realization of the dream of justice, that finally after Nuremberg, the UN is going to put the accused on trial again! And I still believe that accountability that eradicates impunity is very, very important for transforming the sordid culture of politics and power that we see in the world. But we need to be humble about the fact that justice will not bring back the dead.” WorldBelieveImportantWarDreamCultureJusticeCrimeHumbleRealizationAccountabilityAccusedBe HumbleI Still Believe Author:Payam Akhavan
“Criminal trials are fundamentally about individual accountability whereas truth commissions are less about the guilt of the perpetrator and more about the suffering of the victim. A criminal trial is only incidentally a therapeutic or cathartic process for victims. But truth commissions, as we saw in South Africa, have the advantage of giving tens of thousands of people the opportunity to tell their stories, and not only does that contribute to healing but it also contributes to reconciliation, especially when perpetrators also come and express contrition.” PeopleGivingSufferingOpportunityIndividualHealingVictimGuiltAccountabilitySouth AfricaReconciliation Author:Payam Akhavan